Heating and ventilating unit



W. SHURTLEFF.

HEATING AND VENTILATING UNIT.

UN T STATES raxrsrrr OFFICE.

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animus am) vamrta'rme UNIT.

To all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that I, WILFRED SHURTLEFF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating and Ventilating Units, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to heating and venti lating units, particularly to that class in which external air is drawn into and through a housing in contact with a heating element before delivery into the room to be heated companying drawing,- in which- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of the unit, Fig. 2 is a View from plane 22, Fig. 1, with one of the radiator sections in section, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section of the lower end of the unit showing the moistening structure in side elevation.

Tlieunit shown comprises a rectangular housing 5 of sheet metal which at its upper end and at the rear has the air inlet duct extension 6 which may be set into a window or other opening for the fiow of air into the fan compartment 7' at the top of the unit. An

insulated partition 8 forming the'floor of the unit just below the partition 8. The radiator structure shown is built up of a number of sections 12 in'the usual manner and Specification! Letters Patent. Patented Ngv, 9, 1920 Application filed December 1c, 1918. Serial No. 266,850. 3

each sectioncomprises a hollow rectangular body from whosesides at the top and bottom extend the inlet and outletlugs 13 and 14 which are connected together in the ordinary manner by means of nipples 15 to afford com- BR1111621131011 between the sections-for the flow of'water or steam, the sections being held securely together by means of bolts 16, extending through ears 17. "At its opposite sides each radiator section has the fins 18 and 19 extending between the upper and lower lugs 13 and 14, respectively, these fins beingof such lateral width that when the sections are secured together the opposed edges of the fins will engage so that these fins together .with the lugs form a vertical wall dividing, the radiator structure vertically. Between these center fins and the outer edges of the sections, the sections have intermediate fins 20 which may extend outwardly sufiiciently to engage with each other when the radiator sections are clamped together or which, as shown, may be shorter than the center fin so as not to meet. The length and breadth of the radiator structure is such that it will extend entirely between the front and rear and the side walls of the housing 6.

Extending across the top of each radiator section are the flanges 21 and 22, the flanges .onadjacent sections registering to form a continuous groove along the top of the radiator structure for padding 23. A hinge rod 24 is pivoted at its ends in the sides of the housing 6 and extends along the padding 23, the damper plate 25 being secured at its inner edge to the rod. This damper plateis adapted to be swung across the outlet spout 11 between the front wall 26 and the rear abutment 27. The hinged end of the damper plate is, in engagement with the padding 23 along its entire length so that the padding forms a seal against air flow between the hinged end and the radiator structure. When the damper plate is in its upper position against the rear abutment 27 of the spout, as shown in dotted lines Fig. 1, direct air flow from the opening 10 into the room through:the spout is prevented and all the air must travel downwardly through the rear half of the radiator structure, through the chamber 28 below the radiator structure, and then upwardly through the front half of the radiator structure to be heated before it is discharged into the room. If the damper against the front wall 26 of the spout flow of air through the radiator structure is shut off and all the air coming in through the blower outletlO flows directly through the spout and into the room. For any intermediate position of the damper in the spout a corresponding proportion of cold and heated air flows through the spout and into the room.

Describing now the washing and moistening apparatus, the front wall of the housing 6 at its lower end has the opening .29 for the insertion into thebottom of thehousing of a water pan 30, the door 31 being provided for the opening. Extending upwardly from the ends of the water pan are thebearing arms 32 and 33 for journaling the shaft 34. To this shaft at the ends thereof are secured the cylindrical fan or air wheel structures 35 and 36 having suitable propulsion blades 3?. structures and concentric therewith is the cylindrical screen 38 which may be constructed of wire or perforated metal. The shaft 34 extends below the center line of the radiator structure and the registering extensions 39 on the radiator sections form a continuous flange between which and the surface of the water w in thepan 30 is the restricted passageway or gap 40 across which the wind wheel and screen structure extend so that all the air flowing through chamber 28 from the rear side to the front side of the radiator must pass through the wind wheel and screen structure, the air flowing through the wind wheel structure blades causing rotation of the entire structure on the shaft 34. The screen cylinder dipsa distance into the water, the water coating t'he mesh in the screen and forming a film or water curtain in the path of the air flowing through the chamber 28. As the air forces its way through the curtain it picks up water particles which are thoroughly vaporized and mixed with the air during flow through the front side of the radiator structure, the air when delivered into the room being then uniformly and efficiently humidified.

Any dust held in suspension in the air flowing into the chamber 28 will strike the mesh cylinder and thewater curtain formed thereby, the water holding the dust particles, and as the cylinder rotates these particles are carried downwardly and dropped into the water pan. It will be noted that the cylinder really forms two water curtains, that is, each half of the cylinder forms a curtain. Therefore if any dust gets through the rear half of the screen it will be picked up by the front half. A very large cleaning as well as humidifying surface is therefore afforded.

When the cylindrical structure is very rapidly rotated particles of moisture may be thrown therefrom upwardly toward the front half of the radiator structure. These Extending between the wind wheel Instead of two wind motor-or fan structures, a greater number may be provided and mounted on the shaft 34 to rotate the screen cylinder. The more air that is -delivered through the radiator structure the more rapidly the moistening and washing structure will revolve, and vice versa, so that the air is always humidified in proportion to its volume.

The damper plate '25 maybe set manually but preferably its adjustment is controlled automatically in accordance with the temperature of the room to be served. I show thermostatic control of the damper. Secured to the rear housing of the unit is thediaphragm housing 42 having the front wall 43 on which is supported the accordionshaped diaphragm'44. The rear wall of the diaphragm is secured tothe stem 45 which is slidable through the supporting bridge 46 secured to the housing 42. A compression spring 47 encircles the stem between the rear wall of the diaphragm and the hub 48 on the bridge and tends to keep the diaphragm unfolded. At its front end the stem 45 is connected by a turn buckle 49 with the end link 50 which has the slot 51 receiving the pin 52 of the fitting 53 secured to the damper plate 25. A tube 54 connects with the housing 42 and leads from the thermostat device 55, the tube and thermostat containing volatile liquid which changes its volume in accordance with the temperature. As shown on the drawing, the temperature has risen above normal, the volatile liquid having been expanded by theheat, this expansion within the housing 42 having caused the diaphragm rear wall to be shifted forwardly which resulted in swinging of the damper plate to shut off flow through the radiator structure and to permit only cold air to flow into the room. As soon as the room temperature drops, the liquid will contract and the pressure in the housing 42 against the diaphragm correspondingly reduced to permit the spring 47 to shift the stem and to swing the damper plate upwardly. The proportion-of cold air and heated air is thus automatically taken care of by the thermostatic control of the damper plate.

I do not, of course, desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described as changes and modifications areno doubt possible which would still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. In a heating and ventilating unit of the class described, the combination of a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet,

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a radiator structure interposed in the path pelled by said rotary member, and a water pan into ,which said screen dips, said screen carrying water into the path of the air for moistening the air.

2. In a heating and ventilating unit of the class described, the combination of a housing having an air inlet and an airoutlet, a radiator structure interposed in the path of Y air flow to said outlet, air propelled structures interposed in the path of air flow toward said outlet to be pro elled thereby, a cylindrical screen supporte by said air propelled structures and interposed in the flow of air toward said outlet; and a pan containing water into which said screen dips whereby water will be carried by the screen meshes in the form of a film through which the air must travel to be washed and mois: tene 3. In a heating and ventilating unit of the class described, ,the combination of a housing having an air inlet and a warmed air outlet, a radiator within said housing for Warmingthe air before it reaches the outlet, a cylindrical screen interposed in the path of air flow toward said outlet, an air propelled structure connected with said screen and interposed in the air flow to .be propelled to. rotate said screenfand a pan containing water into which said screen dips, the meshes of said screen carrying water in the form of a film through which the air must travel to be washed and moistened before delivery through said outlet.

4. In a heating and ventilating unit of the class described, the combination of a housing having an air inlet and'an air outlet near its upper end, a radiator structure within said housing between said inlet and outlet and the bottom of the housing, said radiator structure bein divided into two sections for the downwar and upward flow respectively of air therethrough, apan of water at the bottom of said housing, a cylindrical screen interposed between said radiator and the water in said pan and dipping into the water, and means for rotating said screen, the water carried by the meshes of said screen forming a film or curtain through which the air must travel to be moistened before it can reach said outlet.

5. In a heating and ventilating unit, the combination of a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet near its upper end at the rear and front respectively, a radiator structure comprising a rear section and a front section, a damper above said radiator structure for causing all or partof the air from said inlet to flow downwardly through the rear section and upwardly through the front section of said radiator structure be- -,fore delivery through said outlet, a cylindrical screen'extending below said radiator structure in the path of air flowing from the rear section to the front section thereof, .apan containing water into which said screen dips, and means for rotating said screen, the water picked up and suspended by said screen'forming a curtain through which the air must travel to be moistened.

6. In a, heating and ventilating unit, the combination of a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet near its upper end at the rear and front respectively, a radiator structure comprising a rear section and a front section, a damper above said radiator structure for causing all or part of the am from said inlet to flow downwardly through the rear section and upwardly through the front section of said radiator StructuiEbefore delivery through said outlet, a pan in the bottom of said housing containing water, a screen extending betweenthe bottom of the radiator and the water, and means for causing the water to form a film on said screen through which the air must travel on its way from the rear section to the front section of the radiator structure .to be moistened.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th'da of Dec., A. D. 1918.

. WILFR D SHURTLEFF. 

